Yamaha Racing's Ben Spies has taken victory in a thrilling World Superbike race one, nicking the win from Noriyuki Haga with two corners to go after passing Leon Haslam in an outrageous move three laps from home.
In what could be ranked as one of the greatest ever World Superbike races, Haga had been leading for 12 laps, with Stiggy Honda's Haslam shadowing him, after taking the lead from the American.
Spies dropped away for a handful of laps until until six from home when he caught back up to the rear of Haslam's Fireblade. The former HM Plant Honda man, who was pressing Haga hard, held him off until waved yellow flags on lap 19 prevented him making a move on Haga.
Going through the back section of the circuit, Spies tried to get past Haslam every which way, with the pair clashing and riding millimetres apart, and finally he got the better of the Derbyshire man and set off after Haga.
The Japanese, meanwhile, took advantage of the dice behind him and put half a second of air between himself and the Yamaha R1. Spies, however, wasn't finished and went past Haga with two corners remaining.
When the lights went out, Spies got into turn one first with Alstare Suzuki's Max Nuekirchner, Jakub Smrz and Haga in pursuit. It wasn't long before the trio had put some space between themselves and Haslam in fifth, who was being held up by the Guandalini Ducati.
It took Haslam more laps than he would have wanted to get past Smrz and found himself 2.6s in arrears, which he pulled back and towed Tom Sykes with him as soon as the Huddersfield man was past Smrz.
Sykes couldn't quite live with Haslam's pace and the Honda man took a handful of laps to get on the back of the leading group. He was lucky to avoid Neukirchner's errant Suzuki when the German man crashed at the final chicane with 15 laps to go.
With 11 laps to go, Haslam was right back with the leading pair, setting the lap record as he went, and dived underneath Spies with ten laps remaining. He then set about Haga but the Ducati man was too strong and Haslam used up his rear grip, leaving the American an opportunity to pass.
Sykes got his best finish of the season so far with a cracking fourth and Ten Kate Honda's Jonathan Rea was seventh after wheelieing off the line and fighting his way back from 15th.
Sterilgarda Ducati's Shane Byrne was 11th, just behind Troy Corser while Stuart Easton, making his WSB debut with the Paul Bird Kawasaki team, finished just outside the points 18th, just behind his team-mate. Althea Honda's Tommy Hill crashed out on lap one.
